The main types of programme
Most programmes fall into one of four types. The type tells you more about whether you will get in than the name does.
| Type | What it is | Open example |
|---|---|---|
| Research fellowship | Months of mentored research, usually with a stipend and compute | Anthropic Fellows Program |
| Residency for established people | A short, well-paid placement for people moving into AI safety from another field | Anthropic Residency (paid AI safety research placements) |
| Policy and governance fellowship | A placement in a policy or research organisation, often with a stipend | Talos Fellowship, Spring 2027 (EU AI policy) |
| Part-time research camp | Team projects alongside your job or studies, often unpaid | AI Safety Camp Virtual 2027 (team members) |
The fellowships list shows every open programme, soonest deadline first.
What they pay
Pay ranges from nothing to a senior salary, and the figure usually reflects who the programme wants to attract:
- Anthropic Residency (paid AI safety research placements): Paid $350,000–$500,000/year equivalent, pro rated, for a 6-week, 3-month or 6-month placement; dedicated compute budget.
- Talos Fellowship, Spring 2027 (EU AI policy): €3,000/month stipend for Brussels placements.
- Iliad Fellowship: Fully funded; $6,000/month travel-and-housing allowance.
- Anthropic Fellows Program: Stipend (see listing) plus ~$15K/month compute and mentorship.
- AI Safety Camp Virtual 2027 (team members): No stipend (except a few projects with matched donations).
Read what the amount is for. A stipend, a salary, a housing allowance and a compute budget are different things, and some programmes quote only one of them.
Who each programme wants
- Established technical leaders. Anthropic Residency (paid AI safety research placements) is aimed at people who have led ambitious work in a technical field, such as a quantitative professor, a technical founder or a staff-level engineer. The organiser says a machine-learning background is not required.
- Early-career researchers with a project. Lightcone Research Fellowship (first cohort) takes early-career researchers from any discipline who have a specific project to run with AI agents. It is a small cohort of four to six.
- Strong mathematical or technical researchers. Iliad Fellowship looks for strong mathematical and technical researchers working on applied maths for AI alignment.
- Early-career policy people. Talos Fellowship, Spring 2027 (EU AI policy) is for early-career people aiming at European AI policy.
- Anyone who meets a project's requirements. AI Safety Camp Virtual 2027 (team members) is online and part-time, running January to April 2027.
Check work-authorisation rules early. For example, GovAI DC Summer Fellowship 2027 requires US work authorisation, and Anthropic Fellows Program points applicants to its listing for work-authorisation requirements.
Deadlines and timing
- Some are rolling, most have rounds. Anthropic Fellows Program takes rolling applications. Anthropic Residency (paid AI safety research placements) has a round that closes on 22 November 2026, and the organiser does not state a time zone.
- Time zones matter. GovAI DC Summer Fellowship 2027 closes at 11:59pm EST on Sunday 22 November 2026. Where an organiser states no time zone, assume the earliest possible and apply a day early.
- Policy programmes open early. Talos Fellowship, Spring 2027 (EU AI policy) takes applications from 6 November to 6 December 2026 for a spring 2027 start.
Data: 28 of 111 dated AI funding deadlines fall on a weekend. Read the weekend deadline report.
How to choose and apply
- Match the type to your situation. If you are changing careers from a senior role, a residency fits. If you are a student or early-career researcher, look at fellowships and camps.
- Read the eligibility lines for location and work authorisation before you spend time on the application.
- Prepare one clear project. Several programmes ask for a specific research question or project.
- Apply to several. Rounds close at different times, and applying to more than one is normal. Our fellowships guide explains how to write the application.
